Master Your Mix Podcast

Brad Blackwood: Mastering With Objectivity

Brad Blackwood is a Grammy & Pensado award winning mastering engineer based in Memphis. Tennessee
He went to Full Sail, then moved to Memphis to hone his skills at the legendary Ardent Studios. After spending several years learning the ins and outs of recording and mixing, Brad turned his focus on resurrecting Ardent Mastering, a division which had closed years before. His success was immediate as he learned under and cultivated working relationships with producing and engineering greats such as John Hampton, John Fry, Jim Dickinson, Skidd Mills, and Jim Gaines.
In 2003, Brad decided to expand his services he offered his clients and the result is Euphonic Masters. His client base followed, allowing him to continue to work with a wide variety of artists including Maroon 5, Lamb of God, Korn, Alison Krauss & Union Station, the Black Eyed Peas, Sara Bareilles, Sick Puppies, Thursday, Saving Abel, the North Mississippi Allstars, Sister Hazel, and many more.
Over the course of his career, Brad has had the opportunity to work on a number of acclaimed projects, and in 2012 he became the first mastering engineer ever awarded the Grammy for Best Engineered Album, Non Classical for his work on Alison Krauss & Union Station’s Paper Airplane. In 2014, Brad was also honored to receive the first ever Pensado Award for the category of  ‘Master of Mastering’.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:
How to feel confident that your mixes will translate
Brad’s morning routine to make sure that his ears are calibrated for mastering every day
Mastering in untreated studios vs pro spaces
Why you should diversify the genres of music you work on
Why you should listen to music as little as possible before mastering it
Mastering albums vs singles
What levels to aim for with your masters
Making different masters for multiple delivery platforms
Mastering with gear positioned behind you, rather than in front
To learn more about Brad Blackwood, visit: https://www.euphonicmasters.com/
To learn more tips on how to improve your mixes, visit https://masteryourmix.com/
Download your FREE copy of the Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: https://masteryourmix.com/blueprint/
Get your copy of the #1 Amazon bestselling book, The Mixing Mindset – The Step-By-Step Formula For Creating Professional Rock Mixes From Your Home Studio: https://masteryourmix.com/mixingmindsetbook/
Join the FREE MasterYourMix Facebook community: https://links.masteryourmix.com/community
To make sure that you don’t miss an episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on Android.
Have your questions answered on the show. Send them to questions@masteryourmix.com
Thanks for listening! Please leave a rating and review on iTunes!

Christopher Scott Cooper: Mixing Live Sound

Christopher Scott Cooper has played guitar since age 5, composer/songwriter since age 15, and audio engineer/producer for the last 30+ years. Became a FOH mixer/Live Sound Engineer by default and spent the late 80s touring and providing services for many a band. In 1990 decided a new path in the studio was a better option and spent the next 15 years at Music Annex studios going from an intern to Chief Engineer. 15 years ago he chose the independent route and built a cozy high-end studio (Blue Seven Audio), and came full circle to being a FOH mixer again for the Fox Theatre in Redwood City and for various events and bands around the Bay Area. Experienced in live recording, live sound, sound effects capture, sound design, studio recording, toys, games, TV/Film, wiring, the system installs, computer/data management, electronics repair… all by necessity. He has also taught courses at Cogswell College and guest lectures at various Audio Institutions. Chris still writes and composes for his band New Sun, TV/Film, and various unusual ambient labels.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:
Learning by trial and error
The important foundations you need in the studio
Why live sound is the best way to learn how to mix
The difference between being a passive vs. active mixer
Why HPFs are your best friend in the studio and in live sound
What levels you should be recording at
Why 32-it floating point is a great bit-rate to record at
Calibrating your ears to new spaces
The importance of diversification with your skills
Being good at troubleshooting
Why niching down isn’t always a good idea
To learn more about Christopher Scott Cooper, visit:
www.bluesevenaudio.com
https://www.youtube.com/user/blue7audio
www.new-sun.com
https://new-sun.bandcamp.com/
To learn more tips on how to improve your mixes, visit https://masteryourmix.com/
Download your FREE copy of the Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: https://masteryourmix.com/blueprint/
Get your copy of the #1 Amazon bestselling book, The Mixing Mindset – The Step-By-Step Formula For Creating Professional Rock Mixes From Your Home Studio: https://masteryourmix.com/mixingmindsetbook/
Join the FREE MasterYourMix Facebook community: https://links.masteryourmix.com/community
To make sure that you don’t miss an episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on Android.
Have your questions answered on the show. Send them to questions@masteryourmix.com
Thanks for listening! Please leave a rating and review on iTunes!

Sara Carter: Mixing Live on the Radio

Sara Carter is a BBC trained, mixing and mastering engineer based in Hampshire, UK. Sara started recording and mixing music in the mid 90’s as a hobby from a small home studio after playing guitar for many years. Then, in 2000 in a bold move, she decided to sell her house, give up her established career of 16 years and relocate to London to turn that hobby into her new full-time career. She studied at the SAE Institute in London gaining an Audio Engineering Diploma and soon after secured a position as a BBC Radio Studio Manager (sound engineer) working on the UK's most listened to radio shows, live music sessions and major music festivals across all of the BBC's main music networks. She also created the foley and sound effects on several radio drama productions and comedy shows. 
Above all, she relished working in the BBC’s Maida Vale Studios where she developed her mixing and critical listening skills, working on sessions with a wide variety of artists from Crowded House to The Cure and Adele to The Black Keys to name just a few. She’s been officially credited on records from Corrine Bailey Rae, KT Tunstall and Girls Aloud amongst others. In 2009, Sara decided to take a break from broadcasting and left the BBC to explore a different creative interest and became a Brewer in a small award-winning microbrewery (Yes, I know a bit random but it still involved mixing, just not music!). In recent years, however, she had felt a strong calling back to music and engineering, returning to the industry with her online mixing and mastering business called Music Mix Pro. Sara is passionate about mixing music and strives to exceed her clients' expectations and to make the whole process as rewarding as possible for both the artist and herself.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:
Putting in an effort to make great first impressions
Working in radio
The importance of working comfortably
How to make your songs sound great ont he radio
Embracing mic bleed
How to record live off the floor in a small space
Mixing with restraints
Building headphone mixes that will result in better performances
How to keep an objective perspective with your mixes
Taking breaks while mixing
Dealing with imposter syndrome
To learn more about Sara Carter, visit: https://musicmixpro.co.uk/
To learn more tips on how to improve your mixes, visit https://masteryourmix.com/
Download your FREE copy of the Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: https://masteryourmix.com/blueprint/
Get your copy of the #1 Amazon bestselling book, The Mixing Mindset – The Step-By-Step Formula For Creating Professional Rock Mixes From Your Home Studio: https://masteryourmix.com/mixingmindsetbook/
Join the FREE MasterYourMix Facebook community: https://links.masteryourmix.com/community
To make sure that you don’t miss an episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on Android.
Have your questions answered on the show. Send them to questions@masteryourmix.com
Thanks for listening! Please leave a rating and review on iTunes!

Drew Vandenberg: Creating great indie drum sounds

Drew Vandenberg is a recording engineer based in Athens, Georgia. He got an internship at Chase Park Transduction in Athens, GA when he was 16, and then went to college at Indiana University where he received a B.S. in Recording Arts. He’s been working on records with people ever since. Some of his clients include: Faye Webster, Toro y Moi, SPELLLING, of Montreal, Kishi Bashi, Kristine Leschper, S.G. Goodman, Bambara, and Dent May. He was an assistant engineer on a Grammy Award winning album from Booker T. Jones.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:
Practicing your craft
Finding a balance of wet vs dry sounding tracks 
How to create depth in a mix without using reverb or delay
Getting great indie drum tones
How to baffle drums when recording
Using uncommon stereo mic techniques for overheads and room tracks
Why the 3:1 rule is so important
Understanding phase vs. polarity
Why you shouldn’t time-align your multi-mic’d instruments
Giving back to charity with your audio skills
To learn more about Drew Vandenberg, visit: http://www.vbergindustries.com/
To learn more tips on how to improve your mixes, visit https://masteryourmix.com/
Download your FREE copy of the Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: https://masteryourmix.com/blueprint/
Get your copy of the #1 Amazon bestselling book, The Mixing Mindset – The Step-By-Step Formula For Creating Professional Rock Mixes From Your Home Studio: https://masteryourmix.com/mixingmindsetbook/
Join the FREE MasterYourMix Facebook community: https://links.masteryourmix.com/community
To make sure that you don’t miss an episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on Android.
Have your questions answered on the show. Send them to questions@masteryourmix.com
Thanks for listening! Please leave a rating and review on iTunes!

Developing Artists (With Mark Needham)

Mark Needham is a Los Angeles & Nashville based Grammy nominated record producer and mixer whose credits include a diverse array of internationally recognized superstar artists including The Killers, Fleetwood Mac, Imagine Dragons, Dolly Parton, Walk the Moon, Shakira, Pink, Moby, Chris Isaak, The Airborne Toxic Event and many more
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:
What goes into artist development
How to diversify your clientele
Things you can do to build your career
The simplest way to network with artists
How to know if you’ve found the next big artist
Writing relatable lyrics
How to mix records that sound huge and cinematic
Integrating samples into your mixes
Creating the vision for your projects
Using saturation
Working with bands like Imagine Dragons and The Killers
To learn more about Mark Needham, visit: https://www.markneedham.com/
To learn more tips on how to improve your mixes, visit https://masteryourmix.com/
Download your FREE copy of the Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: https://masteryourmix.com/blueprint/
Get your copy of the #1 Amazon bestselling book, The Mixing Mindset – The Step-By-Step Formula For Creating Professional Rock Mixes From Your Home Studio: https://masteryourmix.com/mixingmindsetbook/
Join the FREE MasterYourMix Facebook community: https://links.masteryourmix.com/community
To make sure that you don’t miss an episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on Android.
Have your questions answered on the show. Send them to questions@masteryourmix.com
Thanks for listening! Please leave a rating and review on iTunes!

Paul ”Willie Green” Womack: Building Relationships With Clients

A producer, engineer and sonic artist, Paul "Willie Green" Womack has built a discography boasting names such as Wiz Khalifa, The Alchemist, The Roots, Billy Woods, ELUCID and many more, and established himself as one of the top names in independent Hip-Hop & R&B. Currently residing in Brooklyn NY, Womack is a member of the AES Board of Governors, and teaches at the Purchase Conservatory of Music.
 
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:
Audio school: How to get the most out of it
Relationship building
How to approach artists to get them to work with you
How to pitch your services to a potential client
How to avoid awkwardness when talking about money with an artist
Working for free: How to make it worth your time
Getting credits on projects that you work on
Differentiating yourself from competition
 
To learn more about Paul “Willie Green” Womack, visit: https://www.williegreenmusic.com/
To learn more tips on how to improve your mixes, visit https://masteryourmix.com/
Download your FREE copy of the Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: https://masteryourmix.com/blueprint/
Get your copy of the #1 Amazon bestselling book, The Mixing Mindset – The Step-By-Step Formula For Creating Professional Rock Mixes From Your Home Studio: https://masteryourmix.com/mixingmindsetbook/
Join the FREE MasterYourMix Facebook community: https://links.masteryourmix.com/community
To make sure that you don’t miss an episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on Android.
Have your questions answered on the show. Send them to questions@masteryourmix.com
Thanks for listening! Please leave a rating and review on iTunes!

Andy Reed: Producing Solo Artists

Andy Reed is an American record maker, musician, and mixing engineer based in Bay City, Michigan. 
He has worked with Eric Johnson, Leland Blue, Tom Iscariot to name a few.
He is a voting member of The Recording Academy’s Producers and Engineers Wing and a member of The Audio Engineering Society. 
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:
How to work fast without using templates
Recording one instrument at a time
How to make sure you have the right source tones
Listening to references for inspiration
Working with singer-songwriters
How to produce a full production from a simple demo
Finding your “starting points” with micing
The importance of scheduling “lab days”
Creating vocal stacks
Finding the right harmonies
To learn more about Andy Reed, visit: https://www.reedrecordingcompany.com/
To learn more tips on how to improve your mixes, visit https://masteryourmix.com/ Download your FREE copy of the Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: https://masteryourmix.com/blueprint/ Get your copy of the #1 Amazon bestselling book, The Mixing Mindset – The Step-By-Step Formula For Creating Professional Rock Mixes From Your Home Studio: https://masteryourmix.com/mixingmindsetbook/ Join the FREE MasterYourMix Facebook community: https://links.masteryourmix.com/community To make sure that you don’t miss an episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on Android. Have your questions answered on the show. Send them to questions@masteryourmix.com Thanks for listening! Please leave a rating and review on iTunes!

Bobby Owsinski: Using Analog Methods In The Digital Realm

Producer/engineer Bobby Owsinski is one of the best-selling authors in the music industry with 23 books that are now staples in audio recording, music, and music business programs in colleges around the world, including The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook, Social Media Promotion For Musicians, Music 4.0: A Survival Guide For Making Music In The Internet Age and more. He’s also a contributor to Forbes covering the new music business, his popular production and music industry blogs are nearing 8 million visits, and he’s appeared on CNN and ABC News as a music branding and audio expert. Bobby has worked on over a hundred 5.1 surround projects and DVD productions for a variety of legendary superstar acts including The Who, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Iron Maiden, The Ramones, and Chicago among many others.
 
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:
The fastest way to learn any skill
Using content marketing to attract clients
Managing your time
Perfecting your arrangements to make mixing easier
Overcoming demo-itis
Creating a rough mix without even listening to the song
Why it’s important to use analog methods in the digital realm
Making your song sound more energetic with compression
To learn more about Bobby Owsinski, visit: https://bobbyowsinski.com/
 
To learn more tips on how to improve your mixes, visit https://masteryourmix.com/
 
Download your FREE copy of the Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: https://masteryourmix.com/blueprint/
 
Get your copy of the #1 Amazon bestselling book, The Mixing Mindset – The Step-By-Step Formula For Creating Professional Rock Mixes From Your Home Studio: https://masteryourmix.com/mixingmindsetbook/
 
Join the FREE MasterYourMix Facebook community: https://links.masteryourmix.com/community
 
To make sure that you don’t miss an episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on Android.
 
Have your questions answered on the show. Send them to questions@masteryourmix.com
 
Thanks for listening! Please leave a rating and review on iTunes!

Larry Crane: Balancing Creativity & Efficiency In The Studio

Larry Crane is the editor and founder of Tape Op Magazine (est.1996), owner of Portland’s Jackpot! Recording Studio (est.1997), a freelance producer/engineer/mixer who has worked internationally, and archivist for the Estate of Elliott Smith.
 
He's worked with artists like Sleater-Kinney, The Decemberists, Jenny Lewis, M. Ward, The Go-Betweens, Elliott Smith, Stephen Malkmus, Wooden Shjips, Quasi, David J, She & Him, Richmond Fontaine, and more. 
 
His music recording courses at Linkedin Learning feature over 12 hours of real recording tips and tricks. He's spoken on and moderated panels about recording for TapeOpCon, SXSW, NXNW, NARAS, AES, and CMJ. 
 
He has worked in the past as a record label owner, radio station music director, DJ, record distributor sales, freelance music journalist, and bass player (in bands since 1984, including Elephant Factory, Vomit Launch, and the Sunbirds).
 
In 2019 he was inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame. 
 
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:
Adapting to new technologies
Amp Sims vs real amps
Creative ways of finding your unique sound
Imitation vs originality: How they affect your productions
Avoiding the trap of constantly wanting to experiment
Why the simple approach is often best when recording and mixing
Setting expectations for your sessions
How to make your sessions faster
To learn more about Larry Crane, visit: https://larry-crane.com/
 
To learn more about Jackpot Recording, visit: http://jackpotrecording.com/
 
To learn more about TapeOp, visit: https://tapeop.com/
 
To learn more tips on how to improve your mixes, visit https://masteryourmix.com/
 
Download your FREE copy of the Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: https://masteryourmix.com/blueprint/
 
Get your copy of the #1 Amazon bestselling book, The Mixing Mindset – The Step-By-Step Formula For Creating Professional Rock Mixes From Your Home Studio: https://masteryourmix.com/mixingmindsetbook/
 
Join the FREE MasterYourMix Facebook community: https://links.masteryourmix.com/community
 
To make sure that you don’t miss an episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on Android.
 
Have your questions answered on the show. Send them to questions@masteryourmix.com
 
Thanks for listening! Please leave a rating and review on iTunes!

Getting Pro Vocal Recordings (With J.J. Blair)

JJ Blair is a producer and recording engineer based in Los Angeles, California. He has worked with Johnny and June Carter Cash, Weezer, P. Diddy, Rod Stewart, Smokey Robinson, George Benson, Joe Bonamassa, Body Count, Stephen Bishop, David Cassidy, Kelly Clarkson, Jonny Lang, Josh Kelley, Kenny Wayne Sheppard, Eleven, Whiskeytown, Bird York, Unwritten Law, Black Eyed Peas, Vonda Shepard, Don Was, Ali Sudol, Jason Falkner, Mase, David Garfield, Tommy Stinson, Daniel Licht, Jon Brion, CBS Television Studios and many others.  
 
He was an engineer on the #1 Billboard single "All About the Benjamins," by P. Diddy, and was the producer, engineer, and mixer on the Grammy-winning album "Press On," by June Carter Cash.  He was also an engineer on the Grammy-winning, #1 Billboard album "Great American Songbook, vol. 3," by Rod Stewart.  
 
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:
 
- How to get a pro vocal sound
- Why not to EQ when tracking
- How compression affects your vocals
- Using mics as EQs
- The hierarchy of your vocal chain
- Modeling mics: Are they worth the hype?
- Running an efficient session
- Recording snare drums with 3 mics
- Why 421s aren’t always the best for micing toms with
- How to compress your overhead tracks
- Working with Johnny Cash
To learn more about J.J. Blair, visit: https://www.jjblairrecording.com/
 
To learn more tips on how to improve your mixes, visit https://masteryourmix.com/
 
Download your FREE copy of the Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: https://masteryourmix.com/blueprint/
 
Get your copy of the #1 Amazon bestselling book, The Mixing Mindset – The Step-By-Step Formula For Creating Professional Rock Mixes From Your Home Studio: https://masteryourmix.com/mixingmindsetbook/
 
Join the FREE MasterYourMix Facebook community: https://links.masteryourmix.com/community
 
To make sure that you don’t miss an episode, make sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on Android.
 
Have your questions answered on the show. Send them to questions@masteryourmix.com
 
Thanks for listening! Please leave a rating and review on iTunes!